“We have to have ways that we can engage our community. Is it breaking the wards down and having block parties? Is it getting out there and communicating things better?” Davis said.

“We have to find ways to reach out to residents, and make sure they know what’s happening in the community,” he said.

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Davis has lived on Pennsylvania Avenue in North Wales for just over two years, and told council Tuesday he knows firsthand from renovating and renting parts of his home the challenges faced by residents who live in historic houses around town.

An advertising executive with Comcast with past experience at several companies (including Digital First Media, parent company of The Reporter), Davis said he’s looking forward to reaching out to the local business community and helping it grow.

“Talking to businesses, talking to residents, hearing what their gripes are, what they think needs to be improved — that’s going to be an important part” of what he hopes to tackle on council, Davis said.

“Talking to the coffee shop on the corner, seeing how their business is going. Getting that foot traffic in is going to be huge, for all of us,” he said.

Davis was chosen after a tied council vote was broken by Mayor Greg D’Angelo, who said he could not pass up the chance to have a fresh set of eyes and ears to tackle the borough’s challenges.

“We do need a fresh face. We need somebody who’s from the outside world, and for that reason I would vote yes” for Davis, D’Angelo said.

“Progress has to come first. We can’t afford, in a borough of this size, to keep staying in the 1800s. The buildings may look beautiful, and that’s fine, but the business and developers that want to come in, can’t use those buildings,” he said.

“I understand what it’s like to sit there on council. I understand what it’s like to look at a budget,” she said, citing cuts to the borough police force as the most difficult decision she made while on council.

“Laying off two police officers was, in my time, one of the most difficult and heart-wrenching things we had to do. So I’m aware of the decisions,” McClure said.

After all three candidates spoke to council, member Paula Scott motioned to nominate Davis, and said she’d prefer someone new over those who have been involved in borough discussions and decisions for years.

“It is a fresh face, and it’s a young face, and I think that can lend itself to greater community involvement,” Scott said.

Councilman Jim Sando was one of four members who voted against Davis, and said he thought all three “have something to bring to the table” but he preferred Berenson’s record of constant, consistent involvement over the years.

“Which of the three people has demonstrated that, by their activity, and by their willingness to be in this room, on a regular basis? There’s really only one person, and unfortunately it isn’t John or Wendy,” Sando said.

Scott voted for Davis along with council members Mike McDonald, Jim Cherry and Sal Amato; opposing were Sando and council members Dan O’Connell, Mark Tarlecki and Sally Neiderhiser, before D’Angelo broke the tie citing a need for new involvement.

“I would encourage those that did not get selected to stay involved, and if you choose, to run for office in a couple of years. I’m sure some of us are probably going to give up the ship, sooner or later,” Tarlecki said.

North Wales’ borough council next meets at 7 p.m. on Feb. 9 at the borough municipal building, 300 School Street. For more information or meeting agendas and materials visit www.NorthWalesBorough.org.